Fortunately for all the moms who want to stay active, exercise is great during pregnancy. It’s great for mom, great for baby, and has been shown to decrease the duration of the second stage of labor. We know so much more now than we used to about how much intensity the pregnant mom and baby can handle in exercise. So we don’t shy away from heavy lifting or long runs (unless your body or your doctor tell you otherwise). But, birth prep… looks a little different than the work we were doing to have a healthy pregnancy.
A strong pelvic floor is generally great. But in the weeks preparing for birth, want to help the pelvic floor to relax. A common misconception is that a strong pelvic floor makes for a more efficient delivery. But what does all the work is the uterus, contracting. The pelvic floor must relax to allow for the passage of the baby. Working to bring awareness to the pelvic floor, and relaxing it through exercise and meditation is key.
When I got pregnant with my first daughter four years ago, I had no idea what my pelvic floor was. I did not have birth prep. I had a healthy pregnancy and stayed pretty active during. I labored naturally like a champ for a number of hours (I don’t remember). I thought I’d gotten to the easy part when I was told it was time to push. I was terribly mistaken. I had no idea how to push and couldn;t relax my pelvic floor enough to do it. I am certain my muscles were working against me. I prided myself on doing loaded squats all throughout my pregnancy. They were good, I was healthy. But how much better could my experience have been if I had spent a few weeks before understanding my pelvic floor and learning to relax it. Truly, I regret not working on it.
Anyhow, I do hope that this helps some active moms on their journey! Ask me more questions about how and when to switch gears or call to come in for some birth prep visits!
Dr. Rachel Atufunwa PT, DPT